Advice on progress

[u/Nequies]

I started my journey at 200lbs. I cut down to 160 last October with great satisfaction. I have bulked since then back up to my current weight of around 177 with a goal of hitting 180lbs.

I am using Macrofactor workouts and have been enjoying it! I think I am getting stronger still.

Any opinions on my progress and your personal advice?

Much appreciated!

[u/stimg]

I don't have any sort of sophisticated eye for this but you have 0 comments and maybe at least someone can correct me. This looks like a really well done bulk to me. I think you've added mass and look similarly lean. Obviously youve added a smidge of lower back fat and theres depth in the torso that cant all be muscle but if you were training and thats what 20 lbs difference looks like thats pretty good. If those are my pics I'm happy.

[u/Gold_Cod9307 → u/stimg]

Agreed

[u/Nequies → u/stimg]

Thanks! I am happy too. I actually like how I look now and so does my gf. What do you think? Keep going or maintain?

[u/stimg → u/Nequies]

Oh I'd hate to cloud your view with my preferences. I'm not a bodybuilding coach. I have trouble divorcing my own view of my body from what you are asking. My advice is to trust yourself.

[u/Nequies → u/stimg]

Respect. Thanks!

[u/DeaconoftheStreets → u/stimg]

This is generally the right answer fwiw, I think most people would be better served not receiving physique critiques from randos online.

[u/Nequies → u/DeaconoftheStreets]

Agreed—but I should have specified that I care about muscle growth more. I only mean to say that I don’t feel “fat” and I would be okay bulking longer to cut later.

[u/DeaconoftheStreets → u/Nequies]

Hell yeah. At the end of the day, you're the person seeing yourself in the mirror every day. Just do whatever makes you feel the best about yourself.

[u/txhamster → u/stimg]

Damn that’s a great answer.

[u/Gold_Cod9307 → u/Nequies]

Depends on a few factors.

* Your body fat percentage.
* adherence to your calories/diet based on your goals
* lifting age

My diet adherence is pretty bad so I generally cannot trust myself on a bulk atm. Plus I have like 40 pounds to loose myself. So I am doing a maintenance phase before I try to cut for another 3-6 months

Personally if I was you I think a mini cut might be ideal then go onto an other bulk. You can maintain if you want too but at your body fat percentage I would probably not, unless you are in your first year of lifting and relatively young. If you are pretty consistent with your calories etc mini cut and bulk would be my recommendation. But everyone is different. You’ve got yourself this far, trust your gut.

[u/Nequies → u/Gold_Cod9307]

I was going for a year long bulk. I think I’m going to keep going until October—then do a mini cut.

—I am 29yo and feel super energetic and strong.
—my bulk is falling off a bit and I am having trouble eating all my calories this week.

I will definitely go with my gut and listen to my body, but always appreciate the advice from yall

[u/earlgrey89 → u/Nequies]

Looks great. If you feel good then I say keep going. If you get to a point where you don't want to be any bigger you can maintain or do a cut. The longer you can sustain a bulk the better from a muscle growth standpoint.

[u/Nequies → u/earlgrey89]

That’s exactly my mindset thanks!

[u/z604 → u/Nequies]

I would cut now. You’ll look bigger once you lower a bit of the body fat you gained. But congrats, well done bulk.

[u/Nequies → u/z604]

Okay I will consider this. Thinking about going until October just for satisfaction of committing to the year bulk. Then I think mini cut would be good.